Samuel Morin's progress

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Honestly, I'm starting to think Morin simply isn't a part of Hextall and Hakstol's vision of the defense going forward. If they wanted him on the high club, they'd make room for him. He had a fantastic camp, but he still got cut. I don't know how much more he could do to crack the club. Gut feeling is that he'll be used in a package to upgrade some other area of need in the club.

 

[Embiid]

If it winds up being true...so much for Dennis Patterson saying Morin had that "it" factor if am recalling correctly...

We shall see...

 

[tictactoe]

We have league worst penalty kill. I would say we need pk coach first.

No argument. I called for it a while ago.

 

[Foggy14]

Honestly, I'm starting to think Morin simply isn't a part of Hextall and Hakstol's vision of the defense going forward. If they wanted him on the high club, they'd make room for him. He had a fantastic camp, but he still got cut. I don't know how much more he could do to crack the club. Gut feeling is that he'll be used in a package to upgrade some other area of need in the club.

Yeah, given that he's in the last year of his ELC, and appeared to have earned a spot in camp, it's really hard to argue with your conclusion.

The only other possibility is that Hexy is keeping him down to extend him on the cheap this Summer and bring him up later.

Sam doesn't have much leverage, but unless something changes, his agent will be shopping for offers. Supposedly, Montreal had interest at the 2013 draft, which was a reason given for us jumping on him at #11.

So, who will have interest in an inexpensive, 22 year old, 6' 7" defender who can skate and play the physical game? A lot of GM's, I would think.

 

[Peacekeeper]

[QUOTE
So, who will have interest in an inexpensive, 22 year old, 6' 7" defender who can skate and play the physical game? A lot of GM's, I would think.

All GMs except ours apparently

 

[Harhis]

Honestly, I'm starting to think Morin simply isn't a part of Hextall and Hakstol's vision of the defense going forward. If they wanted him on the high club, they'd make room for him. He had a fantastic camp, but he still got cut. I don't know how much more he could do to crack the club. Gut feeling is that he'll be used in a package to upgrade some other area of need in the club.

But if they felt Morin was not part of the future and were looking to move him wouldn't it be smart to play him in NHL to up his value?

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

But if they felt Morin was not part of the future and were looking to move him wouldn't it be smart to play him in NHL to up his value?

Not if they aren't confident in his ability. If they don't think he's good enough they may not want him up here in fear his value will take a hit. He's young enough that being in the AHL, especially on a team with many other defensive prospects, shouldn't hurt his value.

 

[deadhead]

Conspiracy theory, Hextall on the grassy knoll?

They were ready to bring him up twice but he was injured.

He's a LHD, which makes him awkward to pair, they don't want to pair two rookies, so where does he play? With Manning? With MacDonald? Bad fit with Gudas, who they paired with Sanheim to protect the rookie.

Which LHD moves to RHD to make room for hm? Ghost? Paired with whom? Morin paired with whom?

It's more a matter of numbers, and the fact that Morin didn't blow them away in the AHL to the extent that they'd live with the potential negative impact of playing other defensemen out of position. He doesn't have the upside of Sanheim.

Eventually Hextall is going to make some moves to rationalize the D-core, Manning is a UFA after this season, MacDonald is not going to be in the top four down the road, Sanheim with experience might move to the RHD, and of course, Myers is an easy fit.

Could Morin be trade bait? Sure, so is Ghost, if the right RHD becomes available.

 

[Foggy14]

Dead, you didn't think Sam had this team made out of camp? Honest question.

 

[deadhead]

No. I didn't think any of the young D-men were sure things out of camp.
Hextall balances camp with past performance, I think he looks at progress in areas of weakness.
I think they saw Sanheim and Myers as more talented than Morin and Hagg, but Myers wasn't ready.

There's an assumption of stupidity that's not credible, that somehow they couldn't see that Morin was heads and shoulders above their other defensemen but sent him back to the AHL in a fit of pique.

More likely, there were flaws that he hadn't fixed, such as stick handling, that they could live with, but meant he wasn't a slam dunk to make the team, so when it came down to numbers, he was the odd man out.

If you figure they want at least one puck handler on every pair, Provorov, Ghost and Sanheim are locks.
Gudas and MacDonald and Manning were also locks, Gudas on talent, MacDonald on contract and experience, and Manning because he was the perfect candidate for the 7th D-man (which is how he started the season).
If Hextall wasn't comfortable with more than 2 rookies starting with 2nd year Provorov, then it came down to Hagg and Morin.
If Morin wasn't heads and shoulders above Hagg, then it came down to flexibility.

Nothing is writ in stone, if Morin had been healthy, came up, played 10 games and showed steady improvement, he might have won a starting job. When opportunity knocks, you'd better answer.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

yawn.......same garbage different pile. Management and coaching are NEVER wrong in Philadelphia. Got it.

 

[ForsbergForever]

Flyers prospect watch: Frustration for Samuel Morin

So a mystery injury has Morin in a holding pattern and so far limited him to just 14 games played all season (2 with Philly). Weird that its being kept so secret, hopefully this isn't a completely lost season for him...

 

[Curufinwe]

The Phantoms keep all their injuries secret if they can. We know Myers had some kind of leg issue, but it could have been groin or knee.

 

[Striiker]

Could Morin be trade bait? Sure, so is Ghost, if the right RHD becomes available.

Maybe the single most insane thing I've ever read on this website.

 

[kudymen]

Maybe the single most insane thing I've ever read on this website.

It is Hextall's fake account and he only logs in to troll the f*** out of us.

 

[Dumpster Flyers]

If it winds up being true...so much for Dennis Patterson saying Morin had that "it" factor if am recalling correctly...

We shall see...

That segment in the 2013 behind-the-draft doc was embarrassing. I can only imagine how bad the footage was that wasn't released by the club.

 

[FlyersMania2]

Poor guy.

Why do I get the feeling Hak just doesn't like him?

 

[mize370]

any updates of big Sam?

 

[Curufinwe]

Supposed to be back playing for the Phantoms in the next week.

 

[MSSLYNX]

Flyers prospect watch: Frustration for Samuel Morin

So a mystery injury has Morin in a holding pattern and so far limited him to just 14 games played all season (2 with Philly). Weird that its being kept so secret, hopefully this isn't a completely lost season for him...

Injury was to the groin.

 

[YEM]

the top 15 players selected in the 2013 draft have an average of 241 games played in the league [sans Morin]

Morin has 3

 

[Hockeypete49]

Honestly, I'm starting to think Morin simply isn't a part of Hextall and Hakstol's vision of the defense going forward. If they wanted him on the high club, they'd make room for him. He had a fantastic camp, but he still got cut. I don't know how much more he could do to crack the club. Gut feeling is that he'll be used in a package to upgrade some other area of need in the club.

I hope he is not traded cause this may come back to bite us in the ass. I still rather want to see him play in the AHL rather than ride the pines here in Philly like Sanheim who did not have as good a camp than Big Sammy. After watching him play it is clear that Travis still needs more seasoning in LV.

 

[deadhead]

Morin was a project when drafted, but I doubt Hextall would have taken him there.
I don't think Hextall is looking to get rid of him, rather, he needs to move one defenseman this spring and another when Myers is ready next year.
I'm sure he'd love to move MacDonald, but that's not easy with that contract.
Manning will be a UFA, Hextall doesn't want him to walk without compensation.

With Ghost working out with Provorov (very flattering words from Hakstol in today's Inqy), that simplifies the issue to some extent, but also means one pair doesn't have a puck mover until Myers is promoted.
Sanheim - Gudas
Morin/Manning/Hagg - Myers
Which means eventually one of the three is traded (walks), one is the 7th D-man unless MacDonald gets that role by default.

 

[Rebels57]

the top 15 players selected in the 2013 draft have an average of 241 games played in the league [sans Morin]

Morin has 3

Was NHL ready last year but the organization thinks Manning and MacDonald are better

 

[deadhead]

If Morin is so NHL ready, how come there hasn't been a single trade rumor?
Usually when a talented player is blocked, the rumor mill starts generating trades.
But not a peep, maybe the league doesn't value Morin as highly as some fans here?